7.
I would, at this point, like to draw onourable Members' attention to the picture I painted to this Council last year of what was being done in the field of cultural development. I pointed out, Sir, that the Government was concentrating its efforts on pushing ahead with the various training schemes on music, an area where there is wide and established interest and where talent is not lacking. The
demand and interest in the other performing arts were not quite so evident; it was, therefore, felt they could be left to voluntary bodies for the time being. This situation stili
holds good today, and the Government's policy remains unchanged.
However, in addition to expanding the activities of the Lusic kdministrator's Office, we will also be considering giving
greater assistance to voluntary bodies engaged in the promotion of music and its appreciation such as the riong Kong Conservatory
of Music and the Hong Kong Philharmonic Society. I also pointed
out last year that the Government has established a very close
relationship with organisations involved in the active promotion of culture and the arts in Hong Kong. This is achieved formally
through Government representatives sitting on the Committees of
these organisations, and informally through constant liaison and consultation between these bodies, the Urban Council and
staff of my Branch.
3.
The situation today differs little except in terms of the increased efforts, money and energy that have been put in by all concerned, We have, I believe, succeeded in bringing culture and the arts closer to the people. No one can deny that the Arts play a greater part in the life of the Community than ever before. This has been made possible because of the availability of funds from a wide variety of sources and this has meant that we have been able to move more quickly than might otherwise have been the case if we had relied exclusively on the provision of public funds. There have been other developments too: the accelerating shift of population out of the old urban areas, the increase in quantity but also quality
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